finally after long anticipation and waiting, the actual shoot for the trailer had started.... it started from 8am to 7.30pm and it was both fun and hell... i had to kneel down on a very vintage playground with sand, it's pretty hard to find such playground in singapore nowadays. almost gone actually. imagine kneeling down on the sand for hours and getting slapped repeatedly throughout the day. it was hell and humiliation i would say, but i'm sacrificing for the arts and something i had always wanted to do but never got the chance and now i've got it so i'll treasure it. my knee hurts like hell and i feel kind of intimidated after being slapped for countless times. if i were to count the total number of times i'm slapped including the rehearsals in the studio, it should be more than 200 times and thats a lot. plus during a few of the rehearsal in the morning on the actual day i got cut and scratched by the floor that has sharp edges. i know i am obviously complaining about it but i figured out that it's part and parcel of movie making. i really find those extras acting for this movie a distraction for me because i feel that their expression was too exaggerating and made me feel like bursting into laughter but luckily i didn't, if not i'll be scolded by the director badly. throughout the shoot i realized that movie making is no easy stuff, and requires a lot of hard work, extreme coordination and cooperation. in the shoot every actor must be able to imagine that they are in a real situation so as to project the expected kind of expression, feel and mood but it's very difficult to achieve this. it's very stressing and frustruating for both the actors and director to repeat a single scene many times just because of certain things.
through this trailer shoot, i've learn to appreciate every move that was produced, because it takes a great deal of hard work and pain to produce it. even though a movie may seem lousy or boring to me, i will still appreciate it because i know how hard it is to produce a movie. we should start supporting local productions, otherwise they will not be able to suceed and all the hard work will go down the drain. most of the time we support hollywood movies because of the visual effects they have and the hot stars in the movie. these movie directors are successful most of the time because they have the money, people and recognition they have. but for local directors they face problems such as finance, actors and most importantly the support from people in singapore. to produce movie with a imited budget is very difficult and careful planning is crucial. and so i appeal to everyone please try to support local productions and appreciate every movie ever made.
i'm quite satisfied with my own performance in the shoot, and i believe that i had given my best. to some i might not be good enough to be an actor, but it doesn't matter. throughout the entire shoot all i was concerned about was my expression and the feel i gave. i kept asking if my facial expression was good enough. and the director told me i was good, upon hearing that i was satisfied and relieved.
there was another assistant director who was in charge of the camera and angle. he's very fierce and accepted no mistake both from the actors and his crew. whenever his crew made a mistake or did not perform up to his expectations, he would scold or insult them openly. i felt pretty sad for his crew because of the way he scolded them. but this director is very professional and he knows his stuffs very well. in a way i respect him but not the way he talks and scold people.
something very memorable happened right after we finished the last scene. Mr Boi the Director for the movie proposed to his girlfriend in front of over 60 people in front of the camera. they are together for over 10 years and finally he proposed. his girlfriend was totally shocked and surprised when he took out the ring, rose and suddenly kneel down in front of her and proposed loudly. she accepted and we all clapped and cheered loudly. it was a nice ending for that day and everyone was happy for Mr Boi.
i think that Mr Boi is having his happiest time in his life because of his achievements and his future. finally made his movie a reality and getting married soon, i'm proud and happy for him.
Congratulations Mr Boi
after the shoot ended i went to have dinner with Mr Boi and all the other crew for dinner. that dinner inspired me and taught me a good lesson. i had a chat with nicholas who's also a producer if i'm not wrong. he asked me how i felt after the shoot and stuffs and i told him how i felt and he asked me this question. what kind of role do i prefer and i told him i would like to act as someone who's neglected and rejected. he asked me why did i choose this role and i said because it's pretty similar to my life. i told him about what i feel about my life and things i've experienced. things like me being a loner and i enjoy it because it gives me a different point of view from other people. i believe i see things differently from others because i think differently and liks being alone. i enjoy being alone because i can observe many things and think about things i see. it's unique and shocking sometimes. Nicholas told me to bring out a notebook out with me everytime and use it to write down experiences i may get when i'm outside. it's just like a story book of my own life and i am the only one who will understand the book. he really inspired me to do certain things and to remain who i am now because i feel different and unique. now i believe inspiration really comes from someone we don't know.
i want to express my heartfelt thanks to these people, Mr Boi April Assistant Director soundman Randy Nicholas Anthony June Dorothy Chris Teng Grace Jolin Mike teacher with a tatto on his back
this is one day that i will not forget in my life. a day filled with new experiences, new feelings, mood, satisfaction, happiness and most importantly inspiration.
